Given the name of this type of tree, most people probably think that it is a very special species that brings a lot of good things with it. A natural gift from the gods, so to speak. But unfortunately it is not quite like that. The tree, originally native to China, has now spread so much that it is crowding out other plants and can also cause serious damage.
The biggest problem with this: Where the tree of heaven with its fanned leaves has once taken root, it is practically impossible to get rid of it again. It spreads at breakneck speed, via seeds that can fly up to ten kilometers. And also via the root system, which can stretch for meters and lead to new shoots. There is room for a tree of heaven in the smallest crack. And if it then spreads, for example, in a small gap in front of a wall, this can cause increasing damage to the masonry over time.
All roots must be removed in a large area.
Saskia Ellenbeck, City Councilor
There is damage on public roads, but also on private buildings. A Lichtenrader reader reported, for example, how the widely branched roots damage the floor in a garage and press upwards. The tree species has also spread to the Johanna Eck School in Tempelhof. There, the garden working group is always there to clear the “tree jungle”. But the facility management of the district is not aware of any damage to the building on the school premises.
No one has been planting in the district for decades, says the city councilor for Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Saskia Ellenbeck (Greens), who is responsible for the district’s greenery. But you know the problems very well. Due to the lack of staff, however, one can only react in individual cases or remove the so-called “wildlings” as part of regular care. Usually their roots cause the pavement to rise. If the tree is removed for repairs, you have to be aware “that all roots in a large area must be completely removed, otherwise this tree species will only grow more wildlings,” says Ellenbeck. The city councilor also points out that the tree of heaven is particularly climate-resilient and can easily survive even long periods of drought.
The water companies have to repair damage caused by tree roots again and again. But according to spokesman Stephan Natz, it has not yet been determined whether the roots of the tree of heaven cause more damage than that of other trees.
In the case of canals that consist of earthenware or plastic pipes stuck together and whose seals have already aged, the first roots that are still hair-thin could find their way inside, for example when a tree is looking for water in a dry period.
“This ‘spy’ signals to the tree that there is something to get, and the little root grows and more follows. This can lead to blockages in the canal because the roots then look fanned out inside like a broom,” is how Natz describes when the roots of the trees cause problems. In order to be able to identify the damage and initiate countermeasures, the canals are traveled with TV cameras.
Here are the current topics from the daily mirror for Tempelhof-Schöneberg
Our district newsletter already has 270,000 subscriptions to the Tagesspiegel. And we look forward to seeing you too! In the district newsletters you will find exclusive news, neighborhood debates, many dates, links and tips – always district by district, once a week. The Tagesspiegel district newsletter is available free of charge at: tagesspiegel.de/districts. Here are other topics that you can read about in the current newsletter for Tempelhof-Schoeneberg.
- Shortly before the election: problems and prospects
- From Schöneberg in Prenzlauer Berg at the start: Dragqueen Gloria Viagra competes for the left
- Long wait: Something is happening at the Yorck Bridge
- A commercial area wants to grow: the plans for the Marienpark
- Que(e)r reading: Tagesspiegel colleagues at the start
- Memories in the Bavarian Quarter: New audio walk
…you can read all of this compactly and bundled in the Tagesspiegel district newsletter: tagesspiegel.de/districts
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